Tuesday, February 3, 2009

Veggies a la Rosa (Gluten Free)

I've always liked broccoli, garden peas, carrots, green beans, etc... but generally I have always eaten them out of a can or frozen.

Recently though, I've been trying to incorporate more fresh vegetables into our diet. Since I started a low carbohydrate diet in January, vegetables have become a prominent part of dinner.

Last weekend, Michael and I ate lunch at an Italian-American deli. I had a dish of sauteed veggies in a lemon butter sauce topped with a lovely piece of salmon and fresh shaved parmesan. It was an absolutely delicious lunch. I was so impressed with the vegetables. Interestingly, the veggies were the highlight of the dish for me! They were so fresh and beautifully prepared. Yellow and green zucchini, sweet onions, fresh garlic, button mushrooms, red and green peppers, and a vegetable I wasn't very familiar with... eggplant.

Eggplant. I tried this strange purple skinned vegetable several different times previously and I can honestly say I have never liked it. Never...

Until now. This eggplant was soft and not bitter. Merged with the gentle flavors of butter, lemon, and white wine this vegetable was delightful! I had to try it at home.

Last night I sauteed eggplant for the first time! I was not disappointed. I did not have any white wine, so I used a merlot instead. The merlot gave the white eggplant flesh a beautiful "rosy" appearance and it was a great flavor addition to the sauce.

Veggies a la Rosa

1/2 of a large eggplant, sliced thinly and cubed1 green zucchini, sliced thinly1 yellow zucchini, sliced thinly2 cloves garlic, finely minced1/2 medium sweet onion, chopped finely** Any other veggies you would like to add, button mushrooms, red or green peppers, would be a lovely addition!

Abby -- Oh I'm jealous!!! How do you make your eggplant? You are right! I think it will make an excellent meat replacement!

Cove Girl -- Thank you for sharing your comment! Although I have to say I have NEVER heard of canned vegetables containing wheat and I've never had a reaction to them. I have also never seen wheat listed as an ingredient in canned vegetables. Soup, you definitely need to be wary of as they most likely contain wheat either in a broth form or a creamed form, but I think vegetables are safe. This website lists canned vegetables as safe on a wheat-free diet:

I love sauteed vegetables. This looks like a terrific dish, Carrie! I ate a fantastic vegetable dish while on vacation several months back. It was at an Italian restaurant. The chef prepared a simple tomato sauce over sauteed vegetables for me. The yellow squash was sliced so thin, that is spiraled in the sauteeing and I thought for a second he had goofed and served me pasta. I put on my glasses to inspect further! I was very impressed, did not miss the pasta at all, and have recreated the meal since. Next time, I'll have to add eggplant (and some wine!) though. ;-)